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You know what they say: the only constant in life is change. No matter how dynamic and adventurous you are, change can be difficult. That’s because every change, even the positive kind, starts with a loss. In order to move into something new, you must let go of the old. Since change is such an integral part of life, it’s important for us to ask: What does the Bible say about change?

What Does the Bible Say About Change? 

Jesus was the original master of change. He completely changed the Jewish faith by ushering in the New Covenant. 

In the Old Covenant, Jews had to offer sacrifices for their sins in order to be reconciled to God. They also used a priest to mediate between themselves and the Holiness of God. In the New Covenant, followers of Jesus have direct access to God and serve as a Kingdom of Priests in their own right. (1 Peter 2:9)

Despite how amazing the news of the New Covenant was, it upset a lot of people who were committed to their traditions. When the Pharisees, the dominant Jewish religious group at the time, asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t fast, He responded:

“No one puts new wine into old wineskin. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:17)

In Jesus’ day, people fermented wine in animal skins. The new wineskins were filled with grape juice and left to age. Because the wineskin was new, it could expand as gasses were released during the fermentation process. However, if someone poured unfermented juice into an old wineskin, the forming gasses caused the skin to burst.

To give God a new wineskin, we must be flexible and willing to change so that our capacity can hold the new thing that God wants to bring into our lives.

what does the bible say about change

3 Steps to Give God a New Wineskin

In the middle of Jesus’ speech about putting new wine into new wineskins, a man named Jairus interrupted by begging Jesus to heal his daughter. On the same day, Jesus proceeded to heal Jairus’ daughter, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, two blind men, and a man possessed by a demon. 

When God leads you to make a change, it’s always to unleash more of His presence and power into your life. New wine represents the power of the Holy Spirit that we now have access to under the New Covenant. As Christians, we should see that new wine pour out in every aspect of our lives. It should overflow into our finances, jobs, relationships, and everything we put our hand, too. 

When God leads you to make a change, it’s always to unleash more of His presence and power into your life.

God will give you new wine, but you are responsible for offering the new wineskin. Many Christians get this wrong. They want God to give them the new wine AND the new wineskin! However, we have a part to play in the process.

Here are three steps to giving God a new wineskin:

1. Surrender

2. Don’t Mistake Fear for the Holy Spirit

3. Get a Bigger Skillet

what does the bible say about change

1. Surrender

The first step to giving God a new wineskin is releasing any fear regarding change. Prayerfully ask God to highlight any changes He wants you to make. Invite the Holy Spirit into the process. 

Your challenge (and blessing) is to maintain a posture of surrender. A major part of giving God a new wineskin is letting go of control and moving forward in faith, even when you don’t know where the path is leading. 

The Holy Spirit has the most room to move when you let go of control. If you don’t let go of control, you will burst from the pressure that comes with new seasons. However, if you give God a new wineskin by trusting Him, the old and the new will be preserved. God will expand your capacity when you let Him carry the weight.

2. Don’t Mistake Fear for The Holy Spirit

As people make changes, they inevitably venture into areas that are uncomfortable and familiar. They start feeling a little funny on the inside and say, “Hmmm… this doesn’t seem right.” That is why it’s so important to know what the Bible says about change. 

You cannot interpret discomfort as a sign from God. Many people mistake discomfort for lack of peace and think the Holy Spirit is telling them to stop changing. As a result, many people don’t move forward and grow into all that God has for them. This happens all the time as people try to advance on their wealth-building journey. 

In John 12:24, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” (John 12:24) 

Every change comes with a loss, and the first thing you lose is your comfort. The Christian life is a constant cycle of dying to self. You must remember this: your calling is worth more than your comfort. You can overcome fear and walk in freedom.

When Joshua was leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, he told the people, “The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain.” (Joshua 1:6)

If you’re reading this, perhaps God is telling you that you’ve stayed at this mountain long enough. To move deeper into God’s perfect plans and purposes, you’re going to have to make a change. 

Your calling is worth more than your comfort.

new wineskin

3. Give God A Bigger Skillet

In 1978, I heard a story that really impacted my life. It was about two men, Duane and Gary. Gary was watching Duane fish on a pier in California and began to notice something curious. Whenever Duane caught a big fish, he would throw it back into the ocean, but whenever he caught a smaller fish, he would put it into his fish bucket to take home.

Gary watched Duane for a while, but finally, his curiosity got the best of him. He walked up to Duane and said, “Say, sir, I’ve been watching you fish for a while, and it seems to me you’re doing something a bit strange. Every time you catch a big fish, you throw it back, and every time you catch a small fish, you keep it. I’m just curious. Why do you do that?”

Duane said, “Oh, that’s easy. I’ve only got a 10-inch skillet at home!”

Sometimes we can’t take the new wine—or the bigger fish—because we only have a 10-inch skillet. We can become so familiar with our limitations that when somebody comes along and wants to help us get a 16-inch skillet, we freeze. 

So, how do you get a bigger skillet when it comes to your wealth-building journey?

  • Gain knowledge.
  • Take risks that lead to understanding. Don’t be afraid of failure.
  • Make the changes that God is leading you to make. 
  • Evaluate your current streams of income. Are there ways to increase? Is it time to quit your job or ask for a promotion? Is it time to start the business? Are you finally ready to make the jump into real estate investing?

I hope this blog gave you a broader understanding of “What does the Bible say about change?” Remember, every change begins with an ending. But take heart– “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” (Isaiah 1:19)

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